Virginia Golfer Jul / Aug 2020 | Page 30

The Mystery of Heronwood “Working here is a career thing for me, it’s just a special opportunity to take part in something so unique and so exclusive.” —Tyler Day two (electric) golf carts. He’d come out on a Thursday and usually play three or four times on the weekend, and sometimes it was just the two of them. Occasionally they’d have a guest. The most people we ever had on the course at one time was probably four.” TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE When a recent visitor was invited to play Heronwood in mid-May, Rogers told him that so far, his was the only round of the year. Mr. Byron was a decent player, probably a 15- to 18-handicapper. Rogers said the Course superintendent Tyler Day, left, and farm manager Ben Rogers keep the course in shape. owner recorded two holes-in-one on the course and that “he took the game pretty seriously. But he also told me one of the nicest things about owning a golf course was that you could hit a bad shot and just drop another ball down and hit it again. You’re sure not going to hold anyone up.” In mid-May, Heronwood was in lovely condition, despite a wet and cool spring. A full-time course superintendent is on the farm payroll, 29-year-old Tyler Day. He’s a Virginia Tech graduate who has been an assistant superintendent at several local courses until he came to Heronwood in The 10,000 squarefoot horse barn overlooks the course at Heronwood. 2017 for what he called “an opportunity that sounded too good to be true.” “It’s a little different not having many people actually playing the course you’re taking care of,” Day said. “I got along great with the members at the other places I worked, and I miss that kind of communication. The good part here is you can get things done pretty quickly. There’s no foot or cart traffic, so you obviously can keep the course and the greens in better shape. I like to see people play and enjoy it and I take pride in what we’ve done. That definitely keeps me satisfied.” Day said he’s never played the golf course himself other than a bit of chipping or putting, and that’s fine with him. “Working here is a career thing for me,” he said. “It’s just a special opportunity to take part in something so unique and so exclusive.” UNCERTAIN FUTURE How long it will stay that way remains to be seen, what with the entire 500 acres on the market. Because the property is in a conservation easement, it could never be developed by a single owner as a gated golf community with houses all around the course. But it can be split into 100-acre parcels that would allow each buyer to build a home and even add a few tenant houses on their individual properties. Several potential buyers have come out and looked around, and a few have even played the golf course. One possible sales scenario would be for a small syndicate to purchase the farm, keep the course, live on the property and perhaps turn the facility into a small, private club. There’s a gorgeous 10,000-square foot horse barn on a hill overlooking the course, and it could easily be converted into a functioning clubhouse of sorts. COURTESY OF THE COURSE, LEONARD SHAPIRO 28 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J ULY/A UGUST 2020 vsga.org